A teenager’s prayer is answered The first time I participated in the pass-out challenge, my friend slid down the wall sideways and smacked her head against the vacuum cleaner. That should’ve been enough to stop me from ever participating in … Continue reading
Lucy in the Sky (at the Ball) Diamond We boarded the yellow school bus and headed for the back seats. Our bus was one of two that would be leaving our high school parking lot to travel the highways from … Continue reading
Photo from 1980s graduation party. The author, Kimberley Payne, is third from right. Meeting my friends from high school after 30 years I graduated from Grade 13 in 1987. St. Peter’s High School officially closed its doors on Reid Street … Continue reading
Heaven is a better place I don’t often watch the news on television. Instead, I receive the update for the day when my morning alarm goes off or while I’m on my drive to work. The 30-second update is usually … Continue reading
Photo by Caleb Woods on Unsplash Thievery will out Guilt gnawed at me. Not only had I been the one who’d stolen the money but I let Jeff take the fall for it. Saturday One Saturday night, I attended a house party with … Continue reading
With blond hair and blue eyes, Bernard captured my heart immediately. We met in the Prince of Wales Public School parking lot as he guided our group of teenagers onto the bus headed for the airport. For the next four … Continue reading
Up until 1988, high schools in Ontario included an option of Grade 13 for those who planned to attend university. I received two high school diplomas: one awarded after Grade 12 and the second after Grade 13. Back then, high … Continue reading
In the 80s, teenagers in Ontario could write a test to obtain a driver’s license at age 16. Called a “365” this license allowed you to drive with a licensed driver in the car with you. For the next 365 … Continue reading
Teenage Suicide I used to think I had a split personality. One personality was my “outside self” that I showed the world. An over-achiever, A-student, always smiling. The other personality was my “inside self.” I kept this to myself. Anxious, … Continue reading
Photo by Isaac Quesada on Unsplash And learned a hard lesson instead In 1985, I joined Junior Achievement (JA) with my friend, Monica. JA was a program to help youth learn about running a business. Fifteen students met weekly in a small building … Continue reading